Tractor loaders or front-end tractor loaders have long been used for a variety purposes. It is also well-known to provide a method and means for quickly mounting and dismounting the loaders from the tractors. A very successful loader is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,324,954. Yet another loader device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,051,962. The loaders of the above-identified patents were designed for conventional tractors of the two-wheel drive type. The advent of four-wheel drive tractors has made it more difficult to mount the loaders thereon. The front wheels of the four-wheel drive tractors are much larger than the conventional two-wheel drive tractors and normally have much less clearance between the front wheels of the tractor and the tractor itself. Further, the sizes of the tractors have increased especially in the areas of the width of the front ends of the tractors.
It has therefore become difficult to provide the necessary clearance between the loader frames and the front wheels of the tractor since the conventional loaders normally include a subframe positioned between the front wheels of the tractor and the sides of the front end of the tractor. Further, the wide front ends of the tractor make it difficult to mount the loader on the tractor without scraping or damaging the sides of the tractor during the mounting and dismounting operations.
Therefore, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a loader device for a four-wheel drive tractor.
A further object of the invention is to provide a loader device for a tractor wherein the tower assembly of the loader is mounted on the tractor in such a manner so as not to interfere with the turning or pivoting of the front wheels of the tractor.
A further object of the invention is to provide a tractor loader including means thereon for preventing the loader from engaging the sides of the tractor as the loader is being mounted and dismounted.
A further object of the invention is to provide a tractor loader which eliminates the need for a front mounting bracket in many cases.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a tractor loader for a front-wheel drive tractor wherein the mounting pivot point is located substantially above and rearwardly of the front wheels of the tractor.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a loader device for a front-wheel drive tractor wherein the boom cylinders are positioned so as not to interfere with the turning or pivoting of the front wheels of the tractor.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel method and means for automatically mounting and dismounting a tractor loader without the need for extra stands.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a loader device for a front wheel drive tractor which provides sufficient clearance for the front wheels while maintaining a low profile with respect to the tractor hood.
These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.